Economist's Advice for the Unemployed: Become a Butler

The twin forces of globalization and technology aren't just wiping out manufacturing jobs anymore. "White collar" jobs that once paid a middle-class wage, such as prepping office documents, are also getting outsourced to cheap laborers abroad.

It seems no one is safe, except for the elite who are gobbling up an ever greater share of the world's wealth. If you want to find a steady job in today's brutal economy, you need to seek a position that can't be outsourced. But where to look?

According to a special report on jobs in the Economist[3], the planet's wealthiest have tons of money but little time to enjoy themselves. That means a job that can't be outsourced could trickle down to you:

The time-poor new rich are generating demand for household staff, and this sort of work can be very well paid. A private secretary and general factotum can earn up to $150,000 a year nowadays. Salaries for standard butlers range from $60,000 to $125,000 and a head butler can make as much as $250,000, according to the website of the Butler Bureau.

Once you have completed your training and perfected your faux British accent, a domestic staffing agency can help you find a home, since the global elite don't bother with Craigslist. Cass & Company[5] is a Boston-based agency that also covers households in Maine.

Will we all end up working as servants on a rich person's plantation? Share your predictions below.